


i am the voice of your history

by dominical



Series: palm trees swaying in the wind [1]
Category: Guild Wars 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Discussions of War, Established Relationship, Fluff, Healthy Relationships, M/M, Polyamory, Pre-End Game, Romantic Fluff, Waltzing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-07-05 01:40:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15853623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dominical/pseuds/dominical
Summary: "Dance with me!" Cathasach sat up, abruptly, nearly toppling Nylarun from his position against Cathasach's side. Trahearne glanced up from his book, his face a picture of confusion and amusement. "Come on, you two have been reading forhours!As a commander of your armies, I declare a rest period. Starting now. Up!""Cath," Nylarun laughed, but he didn't resist as Cathasach grabbed his hand and hauled him to his feet. Trahearne fought back a smile, but didn't close his book.Well,Cathasach thought with a pleased hum.That will change soon.





	i am the voice of your history

**Author's Note:**

  * For [waywardrogue (thatdamnedrogue)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatdamnedrogue/gifts).



> i hope you enjoy it, my friend! ♡
> 
> no beta; any mistakes are my own.

Cathasach loved deeply and frequently.

One of his great loves was music. He loved everything about it: the sound of instruments and voices combining to form something unique and desperately beautiful, the performers telling their story with such passion, the audience swept along with the story of the songs... music was a beautiful thing that brought people together. He adored it without shame. Music was a connection that every living thing could feel in their heart and soul, even if they had no language to try to explain it.

He also loved how Nylarun and Trahearne were drawn to it almost without meaning to. They were so busy — commanding armies, leading troops, inspiring the people, that sort of thing — that they rarely let their guard down enough to simply _enjoy_ without feeling guilty for it. Music and other simple joys were among those listed under 'pleasure commodities' and was therefore not attended to as much as food and sleep were. Those things, even, Nylarun and Trahearne oft needed a reminder or physical shove to take care of. Cathasach took care of them when he could.

Cathasach could understand the sentiment: why should they have a moment to themselves when people were dying and suffering and _they could help them?_ They held themselves personally responsible for the survival and even happiness of whole populations. For the survival of cultures. Cathasach would be a liar if he claimed to not share that burden, though he liked to think he maintained the balance of life a little better. It was probably not true.

It was Ventari, after all, that said that one should _'live well and fully.'_

It was no life to live in the in-betweens of work and brief rests; battlefields and meetings; traveling and planning. That could not be what Ventari was suggesting, even with the responsibilities of command resting heavily on the trio's shoulders. Would Ventari not want souls to seek peace in the beauty of the world? Of course, lasting peace was only found _'in the soul'_ but Cathasach was pretty sure the world offered some good options, too.

In between one moment and the next, Cathasach came to a decision. It was helped along by the small band playing down the road. Close enough to enjoy the melody and rhythm, but far enough away that Trahearne only dipped his foot to it without acknowledging the reason. The sound was unique and beautiful, full of both sorrow and joy in equal measures. There was a flute and a lute, accompanied by a deeper stringed sound that Cathasach had never heard before. Two separate drums kept time, beating out a rhythm he could feel in his chest.

"Dance with me!" Cathasach sat up, abruptly, nearly toppling Nylarun from his position against Cathasach's side. Trahearne glanced up from his book, his face a picture of confusion and amusement. "Come on, you two have been reading for _hours!_ As a commander of your armies, I declare a rest period. Starting now. Up!"

"Cath," Nylarun laughed, but he didn't resist as Cathasach grabbed his hand and hauled him to his feet. Trahearne fought back a smile, but didn't close his book.

 _Well,_ Cathasach thought with a pleased hum. Nylarun was finding his balance after being ungracefully dumped onto his feet; the man was a thief and a damned good one, but Cathasach had a way of existing in that left him off balance. _That will change soon._

He stepped to Nylarun, who peered up at him with raised eyebrows.

"I lost my place," Nylarun said, gesturing to his book. "I'll have to restart. I have so much to—"

"'—to do, and I have a responsibility to the Pact and to the people of Tyria, and I just _can't_ rest now, Cath, five more minutes?'" Cathasach finished. Nylarun's eyes narrowed, but it was a good day, and he didn't retreat into himself as he was so often inclined. He reached up and gave Cathasach's shoulder an affectionate shove. His sap was singing in his veins, Nylarun's handprint burning like a mark through his flesh to the woody base of his bones.

"I should demote you for that. Is that insubordination?" Nylarun turned to Trahearne, who finally failed to contain his smile and grinned.

"Most likely," Trahearne said. "I do think, however, that he may have a point. You _have_ been working very hard, commander. The people of Tyria thank you, of course, but they will not thank you if you were to keel over in the middle of a strategy meeting. Or worse: a battlefield."

Cathasach wanted to dance more than he wanted to talk, but also— 

"Oh, no, no, that isn't an issue specific to Nylarun. You're both awful at letting yourselves enjoy anything," he said. Before the defensive guilt could rear its head — he could see it crinkling in Nylarun's brow and pulling the corners of his mouth downwards — Cathasach smiled, softly. A smile of affection and love and absolute acceptance, written plain as day on his face, hiding nothing. He knew Nylarun coped with their battle by burying himself in work. In a way, all three of them did. Their war was almost a war of attrition, and that _hurt_ in ways one couldn't explain. Nylarun shouldered most of the burden by choice.

Cathasach knew that, and he accepted it. He merely meant to do something about it.

"Five minutes, Nyla. Give me five minutes of your time, and then you can continue your work."

Nylarun's eyes flicked to his book, then to Trahearne, then to Cathasach.

Finally, he smiled, wry. "Alright. Let's dance."

——

They waited for the music to fade away and for the next song to start.

Cathasach stepped into Nylarun's space, placing his left hand on Nylarun's lower back and his right out to the side, where Nylarun placed his hand with no hesitance. Cathasach grinned, and as the drum set its steady beat, he began to sway to feel the rhythm of it. Steady count, easy enough to dance to. Cathasach had learned this particular dance from a human noblewoman who had joined the Vigil: a waltz, she had called it, with a standard box step. If he learned the box step, she had said, he would be able to dance several different types of ballroom dances with a faster learning period. She had taught him to follow, first, and then to lead.

He had loved it. So basic, so simple. Beautifully intimate.

Trahearne, seemingly without realizing, had set his book down onto his lap, and was watching them sway with bright yellow eyes.

"Follow me," Cathasach said, leaning down to press his lips to Nylarun's ear. "Do not be afraid to walk backwards. I've got you."

Nylarun nodded.

At the beginning of the next count, Cathasach stepped forward, and Nylarun recovered so quickly that his surprise at moving backwards _immediately_ was hardly noticeable. Cathasach beamed, keeping count of the movements in his head. _One, two, three, four — one, two, three, four —_ Nylarun caught on fast, of course he did, letting Cathasach set the pace and direction, black eyes trained on Cathasach's face. He wouldn't be surprised if Nylarun was reading cues from his expression to find out what he was supposed to do.

Once they had gone around the square a few times, the flute joined the stringed instrument and drum, adding a beautiful lilting melody. It was almost sad, but there was an undercurrent of hope to it, and Cathasach could feel it in his chest. His heart fluttered, beating in time, and he began to spin them in slow circles.

Trahearne watched them; he caught a glance of Trahearne's gentle smile over Nylarun's shoulder before they spun again, _one, two, three, four —_

The music swelled, a gentle voice accompanying the instruments, singing high and soaring. In the distance, someone laughed and clapped, but the music continued without pause, singing words in a language Cathasach didn't understand but _felt_ was undeniably old. The tone was sad, but hopeful, and it was so damn powerful he could feel it reverberating around in the cavity of his chest, moving him near to tears.

It was a beautiful day to dance with the loves of his life on a grassy hill.

The sun shone, glinting off of Nylarun's fire-red leaves, pulled back into a tie; the light highlighted the tones of yellow and orange and deep green in his roots, colouring him in an ethereal otherness. Nylarun was gorgeous. A strong nose, firm mouth, and floral curves similar to Cathasach's own at his temples and chin. An urge hit him to kiss him, and Cathasach did, leaning down to mold his lips to Nylarun's. The kiss was slow and easy, chaste, and tasted like home. They spun and spun at an even beat, following the music and breathing and _living_ and there was a third body, Trahearne, at his side, and it was second nature to release Nylarun from his grasp and for Trahearne to slide in as if he had always been there.

Either Trahearne knew how to dance, or was an exceptionally fast learner from watching alone, because he grasped Nylarun's hip and hand and _moved._ Nylarun was smiling, helpless, eyes trained on Trahearne's face, which had all of his worldly focus on Nylarun. They moved smoothly, following the music as it grew and grew and grew and Cathasach tapped his foot to the beat, grinning so wide his cheeks hurt. These were his loves. His loves, who fought so hard to protect people they forgot that they were only mortal and needed things, too. They needed rest, they needed food, they needed love and fun and Cathasach laughed when Trahearne gestured for him to to come over.

"It is a two person dance, dearheart," Cathasach said, but Trahearne _and_ Nylarun insisted, so Cathasach came to him.

Trahearne was beautiful, too. Graceful and wise, he held so much compassion in him, even when the world was intent on beating him down.

"You have a warm heart, Cathasach." Trahearne smiled, opening the hand that had held Nylarun's, and reached for Cathasach's hand, and Cathasach gave it without thought. Trahearne looked as if he might say more, but didn't, and only interlaced their fingers, breathing easily, and drew them close to kiss him, and Cathasach smiled into his mouth.

It was awkward, of course, to dance a waltz with three people, and it ended up more of a swaying movement with slight steps. Nylarun had his hands around Trahearne's neck, and Cathasach stood behind him, a hand on Trahearne's hip, the other on Nylarun's. They stepped and swayed and the music never seemed to end. It went on, and on, and on, and Cathasach wouldn't be anywhere else but with his loves, listening to a song of hope and tragedy and bright, bright, bright love.

**Author's Note:**

> title is from celtic woman's _the voice,_ which you can find in waywardrogue's playlist for nylarun [here.](https://8tracks.com/ofdalishorigin/hard-ground-makes-stronger-roots) i would highly recommend it! you can find my writing blog at [yarrowyells.](http://yarrowyells.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> this is the beginning of a series about my sylvari player character, cathasach cynbel, and his friends and family. i'm very excited to keep rubbing my gay hands over the entirety of _guild wars._ i hope you enjoy whatever i spit out!


End file.
